What would Christmas "eats" be without a chocolate dessert?

A year or so ago I discovered using canned pumpkin in cake mixes. I read through quite a number of recipes online and had the opportunity to enjoy some prepared by other cooks who graciously shared their bounty.

I found recipes that used a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin. Stir together and bake. Pretty good, but I thought to myself, "I think it is missing something." So I ventured into the kitchen armed with a can of pumpkin, a chocolate cake mix, eggs, spice, butter and sugar. Now cake mixes have their own fat ingredient but some have you add some oil. But folks are saying the pumpkin takes the place of the oil.

In my seeking for the right recipe, I came across one that called for some Hellman's Real Mayonaise. I recalled many, many years ago that there was a time when folks made cake using mayonaise instead of eggs and oil. Kind of a frugal cake because mayonaise was pretty cheap then.

But I digress..... I decided I wanted to make this nifty cake rich in the vitamines and fiber of pumpkin and deliciously chocolate. So.... Here we have it.

Vera's Chocolate Spice Pumpkin Cake

1/2 cup Hellman's Real Mayonaise
1 can Libby's pumpkin (not the pie filling, the unadultrated pumpkin)
4 eggs
1 box Betty Crocker (or other quality brand) chocolate cake mix
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (McCormick's)
small amount of melted butter
scant 1/4 cup white granulated sugar plus a couple if tabkesoiibs for the pan

Combine mayonaise, eggs, butter, then add pumpkin. When thoroughly blended, dump cake mix on top of mixture and then spice on top of the dry mix. Slowly blend with your mixer until thoroughly blended. Add about 1/4 cup white granulated sugar to this mixture and blend in.

Melt about 1 T. butter in the microwave. Spread it in the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan. Sprinkle a couple tablespoons white granuilated sugar in the pan and shake to spread evenly. Pour cake batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake 350 F. 30 minutes.

Chocolate Fudge Icing

1 stick butter melted in heavy saucepan
2/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
3 cups 10X powdered sugar
orange juice
half and half
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter in saucepan and then add cocoa. Use handmixer to blend well. Add powdered sugar alternately with orange juice and half and half. Note: I "eyeball" the liquid. It doesn't take much. This icing is prepared in the saucepan atop low heat on the stove top. I like to use some orange juice in the chocolate icing as it gives a bit of zing that cuts the sweetness a bit. I also like half and half (or evaporated milk) because it renders a richer icing. I use the mixer throughout the process of preparing the icing which is warm and thick and pours and spreads nicely onto the cake. Finish off the cake with the chopped pecans.